What primary objective does continuous integration serve in the development cycle?

The primary objective of continuous integration in the development cycle is to ensure rapid integration of changes into the codebase. This practice encourages developers to frequently merge their code changes into a central repository. By doing so, it minimizes integration problems and allows teams to detect issues early in the development process. Continuous integration promotes a collaborative environment where code is continuously tested and validated, leading to faster development cycles and a more reliable and maintainable codebase.

This approach not only supports the swift integration of code but also generally includes automated builds and testing, which help in identifying defects before they become more significant, thus improving overall software quality. Continuous integration is fundamentally designed to enhance efficiency and responsiveness in development, making it a vital aspect of modern software development methodologies.